The next day dawned under a shroud of clouds, as if the sky itself sensed what was unfolding within the castle walls.
I was in the library, trying to distract myself with ancient scrolls about the history of hybrids—though most read more like myths than truth—when the door burst open.
It was Kaelis Moura.
She walked in with her usual confidence, every step echoing across the marble floor like a verdict already decided."Nyx," she said, her tone sharp but not entirely hostile—more like she was assessing me, and had already passed judgment.
I set the scroll down on the table."What do you want, Kaelis?"
She crossed her arms, leaning against a column. Her green eyes locked onto me, dissecting every breath, every flicker of movement."You weren't alone last night."
My heart skipped a beat."What are you talking about?"
Her lips curved into a bitter smile."The walls of this castle listen, Nyx. And not just the walls. The servants, the guards, the maids who think their whispers are secrets."
I didn't respond, but her eyes told me enough—she knew, or at least, she suspected.
At that moment, the door opened again.Selene Draemyr entered, a book in her hands. Her face lit up when she saw me, but dimmed as soon as she noticed Kaelis.
"Oh…" Selene hesitated, as if she had walked into the wrong room. "I didn't know you were here."
Kaelis let out a dry, humorless laugh."What a coincidence, isn't it? Devoted Selene, always showing up wherever Nyx happens to be."
Selene clutched the book to her chest, her cheeks flushing."It's not what you think."
"Isn't it?" Kaelis took a step toward her, tilting her head in disdain. "Then explain why you've been walking around with a secret written all over your lips."
Selene opened her mouth to respond but found no words. Her blue eyes darted to mine, silently pleading for help.
I stood. The shadows stirred at my feet, responding to the tension in my pulse."Enough, Kaelis."
She didn't back down. If anything, she held my gaze with a fire that cut right through me."Don't get me wrong, Nyx. I don't care what you do in your spare time. But if Selene is bound to you by duty, and you decide to drag her into your games of power, then you drag both of us with you. And that… I won't allow."
Selene stepped forward, her voice trembling but resolute."This isn't a game, Kaelis. You don't understand—"
"Oh, I understand perfectly," Kaelis interrupted, her tone like a blade. "I understand that Nyx's hunger doesn't end with blood."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Caught between Selene's fascination and Kaelis's distrust, I realized something undeniable—This triangle couldn't hold forever.
A spark had been lit…and sooner or later, someone would burn.